Marketing Biz: Tracking Google’s Dune Strategy

This week Google took substantial steps to ensure that it remains the dominant way in which users access the Internet both on mobile platforms and desktops.

These major news items may not have gotten as much notice with the Facebook IPO and iAcquire link buying scandals. And maybe you missed funding news for GitHub, the acquisition of PowerReviews by Bazaarvoice or launch of Keyword Lift by LivePerson.

The approval brings the Internet search giant closer to sealing its biggest acquisition ever. Buying Motorola allows Google to expand into manufacturing phones, tablet computers and other consumer devices for the first time. The deal also gives Google access to more than 17,000 Motorola patents.

Mobile is the future of Internet access (and search) making this acquisition absolutely critical to Google’s future. The ‘catch’ is that Android has to remain free to all for five years. Many seem to think this is a big concession but the timeframe is actually quite short in the scheme of things and installing Android on more devices doesn’t seem like a bad strategy.

Google’s Chrome web browser has overtaken Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. For real this time. Maybe. The stat-counting firm compiled data for the week of May 14th through May 20th, showing that Chrome had a market share of 32.76%, compared with IE’s 31.94%. This isn’t the first time that Chrome has gotten ahead, however. And the race itself is close – perhaps too close to call.

The race might be too close to call now but the outcome seems decided. Chrome will become the largest browser by the end of 2012. Coupled with the Motorola Mobility story it conjures to mind that Dune quote: He who controls the spice, controls the universe.

Put differently, the company basically pre-announced that its second quarter would fall short of analysts’ estimates. But it only told the underwriter analysts about this.

As if the hype leading up to the Facebook IPO wasn’t enough now we have a post IPO scandal cycle of news. Was it a mess? Yes. Does it continue to undermine Facebook as being truthful? Yes. Does it really matter to you and me? No.

This is a sure loss for Google, because Cohen had tons of experience working with speech. I am sure his expertise would have continued to play a key roll in developing search technology on Android and for other new projects like Project Glass. The news of Cohen’s departure has not been confirmed, but we reached out to our contacts at Google for official word.

If true, this would be a big loss for Google. The future of human computer interfaces will rely heavily on speech. Google is locking up the platform but without a superior interface they’ll be open to competitive threats.

iAcquire’s robots.txt file and source code has no signs of them manually requesting to be deindexed from Google. So this seems to either be a weird bug or an intentional penalty delivered to the agency by Google.

The SEO community is abuzz (that’s the nicest word I can use) about the public outing of iAcquire and the resulting actions taken by Google. Those outside of the community should avoid the drama but understand the policy and debate around paid links.

It’s calling its victory a victory for the entire Android ecosystem, and while the issue over Google’s infringement of Oracle copyrights related to the Java API has yet to be resolved, assuming that the jury’s verdict today stands, it appears that the amount Google may have to pay to Oracle could be less than $1m if anything at all.

As I surmised last week, Oracle loses their suit against Google. I’m sure Oracle will appeal and drag this out longer just for spite.

“Web and search engine marketing has become a key component of any business’s success. With Keyword Lift, businesses can optimize the performance and yield of their pay-per-click campaigns, while also delivering a more personalized, engaging and relevant site experience for visitors,” said Rob LoCascio, CEO and Founder of LivePerson. “We have found that when you deliver content to visitors that is actually derived from their search, bounce rates decrease, click through rates increase and overall conversions are lifted.”

I haven’t tried LivePerson but the concept sounds good. Matching intent with relevance and value is Internet nirvana and real-time personalization should go a long way to getting there.

The companies plan to combine their technology, content, and data. Both offer social commerce products that allow retailers and brands to collect and syndicate customer reviews, as well as other content. The release says PowerReviews’ self-service product will allow Bazaarvoice, which has been focused on larger companies, to expand into the small- and medium-sized market.

The two biggest players in the review and social commerce space are now one. This is big news for marketers who were often deciding between these two options. (Disclosure: PowerReviews has been a client for nearly five years.)

About The Author

AJ Kohn is Owner of Blind Five Year Old, a San Francisco Internet Marketing firm specializing in search. An experienced marketing executive with a successful track record spanning 20 years, AJ combines a deep understanding of search marketing with a passion for product strategy and iterative product development, fusing design and user experience with quantitative analysis.

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